Improving Vaccination Coverage Through Community Pharmacy Service Delivery in Nigeria: The COVID‐19 Experience and Implications for Policy Review
ABSRACT Background Globally, the use of community pharmacies and pharmacists in the delivery of vaccination services has been hampered by several factors, laws, and regulations that do not support pharmacists to participate in the delivery of vaccination services. With the advent of COVID‐19 pandemi...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Health Care Science |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/hcs2.130 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850204877723009024 |
|---|---|
| author | Yejide Olukemi Oseni Ukamaka Gladys Okafor Taofik Oladipupo Odukoya Hamidu Adediran Oluyedun Abiodun Abdulah Ajibade Yusuff Olanrewaju Azeez Abigail Isaac Okonu Oladapo Adewale Adetunji Adebusuyi Akande Ademisoye Fatimah Adebukola Sanusi Okechi Eberechukwu Nzedibe |
| author_facet | Yejide Olukemi Oseni Ukamaka Gladys Okafor Taofik Oladipupo Odukoya Hamidu Adediran Oluyedun Abiodun Abdulah Ajibade Yusuff Olanrewaju Azeez Abigail Isaac Okonu Oladapo Adewale Adetunji Adebusuyi Akande Ademisoye Fatimah Adebukola Sanusi Okechi Eberechukwu Nzedibe |
| author_sort | Yejide Olukemi Oseni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSRACT Background Globally, the use of community pharmacies and pharmacists in the delivery of vaccination services has been hampered by several factors, laws, and regulations that do not support pharmacists to participate in the delivery of vaccination services. With the advent of COVID‐19 pandemic, many countries have included community pharmacists and pharmacies in vaccination services to improve coverage. This study described the delivery of vaccination services in community pharmacies using the COVID‐19 experience and how their involvement impacted vaccination coverage in Nigeria. It also exposed how this experience can be used to support policy revisions to formally recognize pharmacists in immunization delivery. Methods A descriptive cross‐sectional study was conducted among 474 community pharmacists in two southwestern States in Nigeria, using a semi‐structured questionnaire. It determines the number of community pharmacists who have been trained in the delivery of vaccination services, the types of vaccination services provided, and vaccines administered in their pharmacies. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics and p‐value at ≤ 0.05. Results Response rate was 86.7%. Less than half of the respondents (40.1%) had undergone vaccination training. Of the 129 (31.4%) respondents that provide vaccination services, 72 (55.8%) administer vaccines in their pharmacies. Out of these 72 respondents; 45 (62.5%) were administering vaccines before their involvement in COVID‐19 vaccine administration; 57 (79.2%) of the health personnel who administer vaccines were pharmacists; 60 (83.3%) of them administer vaccines on request; 22 (30.6%) administered COVID‐19 vaccines only; and only 7 (9.7%) of the respondents had administered over 500 doses of COVID‐19 vaccines. Training in vaccination was associated with the vaccination services provided (p < 0.05). Respondents suggested government support through legal framework and policy review, training and empowering pharmacists in vaccine administration, and recognition of community pharmacists as PHC providers. Conclusion Training of community pharmacists in vaccination services had increased the number of respondents' involvement in the delivery of the services while the delivery of COVID‐19 vaccination by community pharmacists had increased the number of clients vaccinated, hence improved coverage in Nigeria. Also, policy review and inclusion of community pharmacists and pharmacies in the national database will improve vaccination coverage and immunization service delivery in Nigeria. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-adf3d627174c4cd6bf6bb7cf50e82803 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2771-1757 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Care Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-adf3d627174c4cd6bf6bb7cf50e828032025-08-20T02:11:12ZengWileyHealth Care Science2771-17572025-02-0141526110.1002/hcs2.130Improving Vaccination Coverage Through Community Pharmacy Service Delivery in Nigeria: The COVID‐19 Experience and Implications for Policy ReviewYejide Olukemi Oseni0Ukamaka Gladys Okafor1Taofik Oladipupo Odukoya2Hamidu Adediran Oluyedun3Abiodun Abdulah Ajibade4Yusuff Olanrewaju Azeez5Abigail Isaac Okonu6Oladapo Adewale Adetunji7Adebusuyi Akande Ademisoye8Fatimah Adebukola Sanusi9Okechi Eberechukwu Nzedibe10Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration Faculty of Pharmacy Lead City University Ibadan NigeriaDepartment of Global Health and Bioethics EUCLID University Bangui GambiaVanguard Pharmacy Ltd Ibadan NigeriaCollege of Health Sciences and Technology Ibadan NigeriaAlvid Pharmacy Ltd Ibadan NigeriaFaculty of Pharmacy University of Ibadan Ibadan NigeriaPharmacy Council of Nigeria, Lagos Zonal Office Lagos NigeriaDepartment of Pharmaceutics Faculty of Pharmacy University of Ibadan Ibadan NigeriaDepartment of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy Lead City University Ibadan NigeriaDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy and Biopharmacy Faculty of Pharmacy Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago Iwoye Ogun State NigeriaHistripes Pharmacy Uyo NigeriaABSRACT Background Globally, the use of community pharmacies and pharmacists in the delivery of vaccination services has been hampered by several factors, laws, and regulations that do not support pharmacists to participate in the delivery of vaccination services. With the advent of COVID‐19 pandemic, many countries have included community pharmacists and pharmacies in vaccination services to improve coverage. This study described the delivery of vaccination services in community pharmacies using the COVID‐19 experience and how their involvement impacted vaccination coverage in Nigeria. It also exposed how this experience can be used to support policy revisions to formally recognize pharmacists in immunization delivery. Methods A descriptive cross‐sectional study was conducted among 474 community pharmacists in two southwestern States in Nigeria, using a semi‐structured questionnaire. It determines the number of community pharmacists who have been trained in the delivery of vaccination services, the types of vaccination services provided, and vaccines administered in their pharmacies. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics and p‐value at ≤ 0.05. Results Response rate was 86.7%. Less than half of the respondents (40.1%) had undergone vaccination training. Of the 129 (31.4%) respondents that provide vaccination services, 72 (55.8%) administer vaccines in their pharmacies. Out of these 72 respondents; 45 (62.5%) were administering vaccines before their involvement in COVID‐19 vaccine administration; 57 (79.2%) of the health personnel who administer vaccines were pharmacists; 60 (83.3%) of them administer vaccines on request; 22 (30.6%) administered COVID‐19 vaccines only; and only 7 (9.7%) of the respondents had administered over 500 doses of COVID‐19 vaccines. Training in vaccination was associated with the vaccination services provided (p < 0.05). Respondents suggested government support through legal framework and policy review, training and empowering pharmacists in vaccine administration, and recognition of community pharmacists as PHC providers. Conclusion Training of community pharmacists in vaccination services had increased the number of respondents' involvement in the delivery of the services while the delivery of COVID‐19 vaccination by community pharmacists had increased the number of clients vaccinated, hence improved coverage in Nigeria. Also, policy review and inclusion of community pharmacists and pharmacies in the national database will improve vaccination coverage and immunization service delivery in Nigeria.https://doi.org/10.1002/hcs2.130 |
| spellingShingle | Yejide Olukemi Oseni Ukamaka Gladys Okafor Taofik Oladipupo Odukoya Hamidu Adediran Oluyedun Abiodun Abdulah Ajibade Yusuff Olanrewaju Azeez Abigail Isaac Okonu Oladapo Adewale Adetunji Adebusuyi Akande Ademisoye Fatimah Adebukola Sanusi Okechi Eberechukwu Nzedibe Improving Vaccination Coverage Through Community Pharmacy Service Delivery in Nigeria: The COVID‐19 Experience and Implications for Policy Review Health Care Science |
| title | Improving Vaccination Coverage Through Community Pharmacy Service Delivery in Nigeria: The COVID‐19 Experience and Implications for Policy Review |
| title_full | Improving Vaccination Coverage Through Community Pharmacy Service Delivery in Nigeria: The COVID‐19 Experience and Implications for Policy Review |
| title_fullStr | Improving Vaccination Coverage Through Community Pharmacy Service Delivery in Nigeria: The COVID‐19 Experience and Implications for Policy Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improving Vaccination Coverage Through Community Pharmacy Service Delivery in Nigeria: The COVID‐19 Experience and Implications for Policy Review |
| title_short | Improving Vaccination Coverage Through Community Pharmacy Service Delivery in Nigeria: The COVID‐19 Experience and Implications for Policy Review |
| title_sort | improving vaccination coverage through community pharmacy service delivery in nigeria the covid 19 experience and implications for policy review |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/hcs2.130 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yejideolukemioseni improvingvaccinationcoveragethroughcommunitypharmacyservicedeliveryinnigeriathecovid19experienceandimplicationsforpolicyreview AT ukamakagladysokafor improvingvaccinationcoveragethroughcommunitypharmacyservicedeliveryinnigeriathecovid19experienceandimplicationsforpolicyreview AT taofikoladipupoodukoya improvingvaccinationcoveragethroughcommunitypharmacyservicedeliveryinnigeriathecovid19experienceandimplicationsforpolicyreview AT hamiduadediranoluyedun improvingvaccinationcoveragethroughcommunitypharmacyservicedeliveryinnigeriathecovid19experienceandimplicationsforpolicyreview AT abiodunabdulahajibade improvingvaccinationcoveragethroughcommunitypharmacyservicedeliveryinnigeriathecovid19experienceandimplicationsforpolicyreview AT yusuffolanrewajuazeez improvingvaccinationcoveragethroughcommunitypharmacyservicedeliveryinnigeriathecovid19experienceandimplicationsforpolicyreview AT abigailisaacokonu improvingvaccinationcoveragethroughcommunitypharmacyservicedeliveryinnigeriathecovid19experienceandimplicationsforpolicyreview AT oladapoadewaleadetunji improvingvaccinationcoveragethroughcommunitypharmacyservicedeliveryinnigeriathecovid19experienceandimplicationsforpolicyreview AT adebusuyiakandeademisoye improvingvaccinationcoveragethroughcommunitypharmacyservicedeliveryinnigeriathecovid19experienceandimplicationsforpolicyreview AT fatimahadebukolasanusi improvingvaccinationcoveragethroughcommunitypharmacyservicedeliveryinnigeriathecovid19experienceandimplicationsforpolicyreview AT okechieberechukwunzedibe improvingvaccinationcoveragethroughcommunitypharmacyservicedeliveryinnigeriathecovid19experienceandimplicationsforpolicyreview |